Zinging in the Train
by YarningChick
Summary: Just because you're minding your own business for once doesn't mean that it's going to stay that way for long.
1. Glad

A/N; After seeing the train scene from the third Hotel Transylvania movie, I couldn't help picturing a certain someone also being on that train. And it probably won't be your first or second guess. This was originally going to go into One Hit Wonders, but then I kept expanding on it, and I came to terms that I'm going to readjust the idea I had for what was going to be the #50 special so that I don't do a lot of unnecessary repeating the same information. Putting this in its own story will eventually lead to 'Choice and Consequence' being the #50 since One Hit Wonders is probably never going to be finished, and I've decided I'm perfectly okay with the change of plans. I don't think I'll be able to handle another story that length.

So, enjoy my 2018 Halloween Special! There will be a pairing some people won't care for, but you know what? Ship and let ship.

Zinging in the Train

Chapter 1: Glad

 _Allo, darlin'. Oi'm so glad to see it's love at first sight for you, too._

 _-Elizabeth Haydon_

xxXxx

 _ **Lucy Westenra's Journal; May 3, 1897, en route to Budapest**_

 _I thought Mina would never get to sleep! I love her to distraction, but, as this little book bears witness, she has never been able to keep a secret in her life. Despite Mother's warnings about writing on a train, my hand is proving legible._

 _This can't wait until we reach Budapest. It's been two days since my best friend and I left our humble town with our mothers waving handkerchiefs until we could no longer see them, and for the most part, the days were perfectly boring and predictable. The other passengers in our car were all perfectly happy to keep to themselves, and the bounty we took from home ensured we didn't go hungry. If anything, Mina's been the one bothering other passengers with her unending chatter, but I've been doing my best to keep her under control, or at least her words low enough for my ears alone._

 _The reason I desperately needed to start writing is seated a mere six steps away. The lavatory on this train is an abomination, so Mina and I have been doing our best to only conduct 'business' at each station we stop at. I noticed almost immediately as we returned to our seats that the group of businessmen that had been on our left were replaced with a cluster of elderly women._

 _Or, so I thought at first. They all had the traditional shawls covering their heads and shoulders, so it was enough to fool the eye until my foot yet again found the tiny fold in the carpeting. By now, I almost had it to a science for my hand to land on the back of one of the seats, startling the 'elderly' passenger sitting there. I was halfway through the usual apology when the one under the shawl turned enough to look at me, the mouth just preparing to respond before falling open in surprise._

 _I don't think I'll ever be able to forget that moment._

 _The first thing that struck me was a pair of vibrant green eyes the color of fresh grass. The same color as the silk scarf around my neck, in fact. The second thing was an inexplicable flash of purple light, despite the noon-day sun. That light seemed to burn more in his eyes than anywhere else, but don't ask me why. A part of my mind waited for the thunder that never came, but the rest of me was dominated by the striking face that was equally locked on my own._

 _I am not certain how to put this delicately, but the passenger was no elderly woman. He wasn't even a human._

" _Stop blocking the aisle, Lucy!" Mina scolded from behind me, breaking the spell that seemed to have us bound._

 _At the sound of my dear friend's demand, he swiftly turned away and held the shawl over his face as best he could without being obvious about it._

" _M-my apologies," I said again, feeling strangely disappointed over the loss of his gaze as a strange headache overtook my senses. Although it was the last thing I wished to do, I walked slightly beyond our shared seat so that Mina could seat herself by the window._

 _Mina tends to chatter less if she can see what's going on around her. It is good fortune that she didn't pay attention to my latest stumble, because she has a deathly fear of monsters, and that would certainly delay the train's departure, to name the least awful consequence._

 _Don't ask me what her topic was as we waited for the train to leave the station or the one as we left the current city behind us. I know I should have paid more attention, but the sudden headache was demanding what little attention I had to spare. Although I knew it was extremely inadvisable, I couldn't resist sneaking glances back at him to make sure I hadn't just imagined what I had seen in that strange purple light._

 _It feels discourteous to call him a monster. In the stories Mother used to frighten me into good behavior with, monsters were unthinking beasts with a taste for human flesh. But that certainly couldn't be the case with this one, or his companions. I found myself more intrigued than afraid._

 _I know Mina would only say that is because I am one of the bravest people she knows, but as civilized as mankind has grown, we still have instincts that give us more information than mere logic. Mine say that no one in this railcar is in any danger, especially from that group._

 _The monster, if you can call him that, appears to be feline in form. He has handsome orange and cream fur, although I can just tell his flattened ears are trembling underneath the shawl with the urge to stand upright, but that would give him away in a heartbeat. One hand was holding the shawl closed at the front to cover his attire, and I can just see a red bow tie with orange polka dots under his chin. I can't say that it flatters him in the least, but it does help prove the point that he's completely rational._

 _I suppose I shouldn't poke fun at the bow tie when he's huddled under a floral print shawl like a frightened kitten during a thunderstorm. It was clearly the best he and his friends could come up with to travel with the least amount of interference. I can't even see what the one sitting beside him looks like, even though it doesn't appear that monster is holding the shawl tightly enough to disguise itself that well. All I can see is a glint of glasses from that one._

 _I don't think the cat's gaze has left me since we sat down. I can feel his eyes on me even when I don't look back to confirm that I'm still the center of his attention. I must have lost my mind because I can feel my heart jump each and every time our eyes connect._

 _I thought I wasn't ready for… male companionship. That's why I'm heading to the capital, after all! It was the best way possible to get away from Mother trying to pressure me into an engagement with Arthur since I'm not likely to find a better catch than a lord's son._

 _So why am I using that line of thinking concerning the cat-man?!_

 _It might have been an hour before I noticed that Mina was still talking, and it was past the usual time that I forced myself to sleep. I can't say that I slept a wink, but out of courtesy to the other passengers, I still leaned on Mina's shoulder and kept my eyes shut._

 _It was torturous to not let myself look at my cat- why did I write that?! I can't stake a claim on someone that I haven't so much as shared an introduction with yet!_

 _In any case, Mina respected our agreement that she keeps silent while I rest. Every now and again I would have to sleepily say 'Mina' when she would forget herself, and I'm sure the other passengers appreciated the small reprieve._

 _I spent the entire 'nap' trying to decide how to approach him. I knew I wouldn't be able to just walk past him once Mina and I hit our stop at the Budapest station, but there was no telling when or where he and his friends were planning to go. I couldn't precisely ask to sit by him since he was sharing his seat, and he couldn't sit by me because of Mina. Even if he were able to speak to me, it would have to be as an old woman to keep the other passengers oblivious to whom they were sharing the railcar with._

 _I should think our acquaintance is starting off awkwardly enough without_ _ **that**_ _to make it worse!_

 _Mina wanted to talk when I was finally too hungry to keep 'napping', and she even begged for a lullaby to help her drift off a little after sunset. I must admit that it was embarrassing to do so in front of the cat, but at least she is resting now, and I can finally write freely. I consider my singing only passable, but the little German boy that had been sitting in front of the monsters found it just as soothing as Mina. It is probably just as well that he's snoring on his mother's lap, since he was starting to give the monsters curious glances while they were distracted with analyzing me. I haven't dared look behind me to see the cat's reaction to my song, but I can sense that his green eyes are still fixed on me._

 _The deed is done. Never mind the torn page joined to this one, for the missing bit only reads;_

 _Louise 'Lucy' Westenra_

 _Starting work at Hatter's at the Crossroads on May 5_

 _If you need a friend._

 _I don't know what Mina's cousin will say if she found out I was bringing her hat shop to the attention of a monster, but I was strangely certain that I could keep her from discovering what I'm up to. I simply couldn't bear it if this cat walked out of my life as suddenly as he walked in._

 _I had forced myself to pay attention to the pale monster sitting at arm's length on the other side of the aisle instead of my cat- Why did I write that again?! There are six of them altogether, two in each seat. The one closest to me seemed perfectly normal compared to the giant he was sharing his seat with, but I've been teasingly accused of being a vampire often enough to not be fooled. Using only my lips to avoid notice, I asked him while briefly glancing at the cat two rows behind him, "Your friend?"_

 _He nodded, unable to shake the worry from his ice blue eyes. The concern was less than I was expecting, but it has been eight hours since I discovered the truth, and he must have realized by now that I meant no harm._

 _I timed a loud cough to cover the sound of ripping part of the page off, and the vampire faked a loud sneeze at the same time, giving me the excuse to offer him a handkerchief that had been hastily wrapped around the note._

 _He took it and pretended to blow his nose just as the cat also faked a sneeze to encourage the handkerchief to come to him._

 _I have to say that I'm impressed at how quickly they think on their feet. The cat was reading my note almost as soon as the cloth touched his gloved hand. When he looked up and smiled at me, it quite nearly took my breath away._

" _I will come for you," he mouthed at me, holding the shawl even tighter over his head to keep his excited ears under control._

 _It's a good thing I'm able to write all this in my journal, for now, I'm so excited that I can barely sit still enough to not disturb Mina's rest against my shoulder._

 _If I had felt half this excited whenever Arthur came to call on me, I would probably be married by now. Now, don't think me naïve about encouraging the attention of a monster. I don't know a single person I will be able to tell without inspiring a bloodthirsty mob, even Mina. But heaven help me; I_ _ **need**_ _to know more about this man!_

 _The ticket master is announcing that we'll be arriving in Budapest soon. I had been merely resigned to working at a hat shop when Mina and I left our hometown, but now, I simply can't wait for my first day of work!_

 _Even if nothing is to come from seeing him again, I will at least have his name._


	2. A Person's World

Zinging in the Train

Chapter 2: A Person's World

 _A person's world is only as big as their heart._

 _-Tanya A. Moore_

xxXxx

 _ **Do you really have to do this, Haru?**_

 _It's not a 'have to', it's a 'get to!' I'll be fine, Hiromi, I promise._

 _ **How can you promise that? You've read the blogs of people who go into that place!**_

 _The fact that they came back in order to write the blogs says that it's perfectly safe if a bit more exciting than the usual hotel. The driver's coming back, will update after I check in._

Haru pocketed her phone as the pumpkin-headed driver opened the door to the driver's side of the car and slid in.

"You remembered the seat belt?" he asked her worriedly while strapping himself down. "Transylvanian roads can be a little rough."

The young woman flicked a thumb against the strap across her chest. "Ready when you are, Jack."

The jagged cut that made up his mouth smoothed into a warm smile before he turned his twig-like hands to the wheel and started the old-fashioned car.

Haru could hardly believe she was _finally_ on her way to Hotel Transylvania! Her heart pounded with excitement as they pulled away from the airport's parking lot and to the road that led up the closest mountain.

The only thing that could possibly have made this better was if her mother was sitting next to her, but Haru reminded herself to be patient. The only reason she had been able to come at all was to help her mother join her in three days. It was a sneaky and underhanded move, but at least it would yield the desired results.

As the car traveled up to the rougher mountain road, Haru gripped the seat and door with a laugh of delight as she was repeatedly almost tossed from her seat. It would have been startling without the driver's warning, but she found it enjoyable now that she knew what to expect. "It's like a roller coaster!"

Jack laughed as he did his best to navigate the upturned dirt road. "You're certainly taking it calmer than the other humans I've chauffeured. But with respect, I need to focus on the road."

"Sorry," Haru apologized automatically, letting herself just enjoy the ride. She could already tell that she was going to like this hotel better than any her mother had taken her to. As far as the brunette was concerned, if you've seen one nice or even passable 'human' hotel, you've seen them all.

But if anything she and her mother have researched about this hotel was any indication, Hotel Transylvania was going to be an unforgettable experience.

If nothing else, it was the first castle Haru would have ever set foot in. Dracula could call his home whatever he wished, but a stone house with over a hundred rooms was still a castle.

Her first view in person did nothing to contradict her opinion. Everything from the placement of the castle to the size and shape of the windows screamed that this was made to be a formidable fortress.

Haru pressed herself as close to the glass as she dared without smudging it, now that they were on the smoother road of the bridge leading to the castle. There was a momentary flicker of something passing between the moon's light and where she sat, but by the time she looked up, it was already gone without a trace.

She brushed it off with a small laugh. _'You're in Transylvania now. There's probably bats everywhere. That one might have even been Dracula!'_

Before much longer, they were pulling around in the courtyard with her car door facing the entrance.

In the time it took her to get unbuckled, Jack had managed to turn off the old-fashioned car, unstrap himself, and get halfway around to her side.

The simple schoolgirl wasn't used to being treated like a lady but decided to savor it while it lasted.

"Hotel Transylvania," Jack announced formally as he opened her door.

Her white tennis shoes hit the cobblestones as one hand brushed the wrinkles out of her long blue coat and cream skirt, but most of Haru's attention was locked on the castle looming high over her. "I'm _finally_ here!" she breathed, just taking in the wonderful sight for a glorious moment as her heart pounded in excitement.

"Shall we, then?" Jack asked as he handled her wheeled suitcase and made for the stairs with it.

"I could get that," she protested, but his pumpkin mouth was already forming a smirk.

"If you're that impressed with the outside, the inside might stun you for a week. Let's get you to the front desk before I park the car."

"It's _that_ awesome in there?" the brunette tried not to squeal, following him up the impressive stone steps in a heartbeat. She held both hands to her heart to encourage it to slow down, but it did next to nothing as she and Jack entered the rotating door.

Haru stared all around her, not bothering to hide her delight. There were monsters _everywhere_ , walking around, minding their own business like they were no different from anyone else! A giant Bigfoot came completely through the main hall with one thunderous step, some regular-sized brains were flying by, and there was even a skeleton mariachi band playing an upbeat tune next to one of the impressive staircases. A tall thin skeleton in a black suit was leaving the front desk with a woman that looked a bit like she was related to Frankenstein, but had long red hair to her hips. Even her dress seemed to be as patched together as her body, but she was still very lovely. If the pair weren't on their honeymoon, they were certainly acting like it as the skeleton brought her blue hand to his mouth for a gentle kiss while he stared at her with complete adoration as she did the same.

Haru had to stare at everything else to keep from gushing at how cute the pair were being. Sure, there were a handful of humans scattered into the crowd, but all that did was stress to the teenage girl that this is what should have been normal from the beginning.

" _Breathe_ , Miss Haru," Jack whispered while fighting back a laugh.

She tried to answer, but all that passed her lips was an unintelligible sound of pure joy.

"The front desk is straight ahead," he informed her, gently tugging on one elbow to get her to move forward on the red carpet.

Haru let her chauffer guide her to the end of the line, still staring at everything she could with the biggest, goofiest smile her mouth could manage.

Even after she was able to calm down about the monsters, the architecture still commanded her attention. It was just… _everything_ about this place! Being here felt right, even if she couldn't put the reason why into words.

Jack gave another gentle tug as an amphibian pair of monsters left the desk with their luggage being carried by a pair of zombie bellhops. Haru took the needed steps forward, just now noticing that the man in front of her was scowling at everything just as fiercely as she had been beaming. He was even a bit rude with the giant fly manning the front desk about his reservation.

Haru quirked an eyebrow at his foul mood but decided not to worry about him. _'If he wants to waste his money on a hotel he doesn't like, that's his problem, isn't it?'_

"Do you think you can manage from here?" Jack asked, nervously looking back at the rotating door and to the car he still needed to park so other guests could be dropped off.

Haru managed a small guilty laugh. "I think I can function now. Thanks for being so patient with me," she said warmly while taking the handle for her luggage.

Jack gave her an extravagant bow with another pumpkin grin. "It's been more than my pleasure, Miss Haru. Enjoy your stay." With that, he started jogging back to the rotating door.

Haru spared him a last wave before facing the front desk again. But then something at the edge of her large brown eye nibbled at her attention span, making her turn her head upward for a curious look. She gasped shortly in a fit of glee as another wild smile overtook her lips.

Against her will, 'Monster Mash' began playing in her mind. The most well-known monsters of the world had suddenly come down and clustered at a corner of one of the stone stairs flanking each side of the front desk. Frankenstein and his wife were impossible to miss thanks to their sheer height and visible stitches, as well as a mummy that seemed surprisingly light on his feet considering his almost ridiculous girth.

' _The guests included Wolf Man, Dracula, and his-'_

" _Daughter_ ," Haru corrected herself under her breath, taking in the surprisingly normal-looking young woman, and her even more normal-looking husband and son. She had to bite her lower lip to keep from squealing out loud that Dennis' rare pictures didn't do him justice as he sat on his father's shoulders, captivated by something in her direction.

The women all seemed to be staring at her, but the men were all frantically playing on their cell phones save for Jonathan and Dennis, who were perfectly content to stare into space like the world had stopped moving.

It was too good of an opportunity to pass up! Haru hurriedly set her luggage to stand by itself so that she could pull her cell phone out of her pocket. She quickly made sure that the ghost lens for capturing ghosts, spirits, and vampires was still strapped in place before facing the monsters and pointedly tapping the side of her device with a finger. " _May I?_ " she mouthed at them just in case she had caught one of their eyes.

The last thing she wanted to do was embarrass them by shouting out her request.

Huh. All the monsters reacted to her question, jumping in surprise. Even the ones that had their noses in their cell phones hurriedly pocketed them and have a quick whispered conversation between them.

Dracula looked up at her first, nodding with a smile as he subtly used magic to draw his loved ones close for a photo.

' _He has magic_ _ **too**_ _? Can this guy get any cooler if he tried?'_ Haru held up her cell phone and zoomed in just enough to capture the happy group that had their arms wrapped around each other.

One tap and she had the perfect picture. Even little Dennis had let go of one fistful of his father's hair to wave one hand wildly with an open-mouthed smile.

" _Thank you!_ " she mouthed at them through another wide grin as she quickly forwarded the pic to her mother. _'That should help take the edge off not being able to be here, yet.'_ Haru then frowned as she noticed how little battery her phone had. Just to be on the safe side, she sent a text to her mother to explain the lack of further pictures, and then an identical one for Hiromi to keep her from panicking.

 _Almost out of battery, checking in right now. Will be charging at the earliest opportunity, so don't panic if I'm silent for a while._

"Well, now. _You're_ no monster, are you?" the man in front of her suddenly noticed as he kept a firm grip on his luggage to keep it from the zombie bellhops.

Haru gave him an incurious glance while sending off the last text before shutting her phone off. "Oh, I can think of some people that would disagree with you, sir."

The sudden smile melted away and back into the scowl she had glimpsed before. He tilted his head at her, taking in her perfectly normal appearance and dress with suspicion. "You're not pale enough to be a vampire," he accused. "What are you, anyway?"

It was his condescending tone that tested Haru's nerves. Someone that could switch from pleasant human to nasty monster-hater so quickly had no business in this of all places.

' _If he can't recognize an innocent comment like that, he's_ _ **begging**_ _for this!'_ Pocketing the phone in her long blue coat, she looked up at the bigger man defiantly. "I'm surprised you don't recognize me. My kind has been terrorizing this planet since the dawn of time. Grown men swap horror stories about us as well as how to survive confrontations in one piece. Those measures only provoke us, by the way. And you do **not** want to provoke us," she added with an evil leer for good measure.

The large-chested man took one step away, cradling his luggage protectively with a worried look as the hall strangely seemed to turn silent around them.

Haru decided to finish with a low tone as she continued to glare at the conceited human, taking slow, menacing steps toward him to make him back further away in barely-controlled fear. "I. Am. A. Headstrong. Teenager. _**Fear me**_!"

Much to her surprise, the entire hall erupted with nearly deafening laughter. She just about jumped out of her skin, since she had really gotten into the prank and didn't think her voice was carrying that far.

That last part was explained when she saw one of the floating brains halfway across the main hall float close to a human as if whispering something, and then watch the human's family all collapse into helpless laughter as well.

The man she had pranked drew himself up to his full height with a glare, swiftly turning his back on her to keep his embarrassed blush from public view. He stomped down one of the corridors without looking back.

Haru was blushing herself at all the unexpected attention, but at least she was able to laugh as well, gripping her luggage with one hand as she approached the front desk.

The giant fly, about the size of a human toddler, was slamming a tiny fist against the hardwood, he was laughing so hard. Instead of pressuring him to finish up, Haru set her luggage upright again and casually leaned against the counter with a patient smile while opening up her wallet to search for identification. "Feel better?" she asked after he was finally able to get his breathing under control.

He took in a deep, satisfied breath as he beamed up at her. "I think you just made everyone's night, Miss Yoshioka. You _are_ Miss Yoshioka?"

"Just 'Haru' is fine. Here's my school I.D.," she confirmed while offering him a card. "And you have to admit that there are worse ways to start off a vacation."

"True enough," the fly agreed, blinking a bit at the card before handing it back. "I can't read Japanese, but I'll take your word for it."

Haru flinched in dismay. "Crud, we forgot about that," she muttered under her breath as he tapped away on the computer in front of him.

"There shouldn't be a problem… oh, right," the fly grumbled under his breath as he stared at his screen. "The room your mother reserved was in the wing that Tinkles wrecked this morning."

Haru winced. "Dang it. Is there an open one somewhere else? My mom and I can make do with a room for one if that's all that's available."

The fly kept tapping. "One should open up before too long. A few hours at the most."

"Hi!" a cheerful voice suddenly greeted on Haru's immediate right.

The girl jumped with a small yelp, turning to see who was suddenly at her side.

 _The_ Mavis Dracula Loughran was casually leaning against the front desk when she had been at the top of the stairs not that long ago with her family. She smiled a bit apologetically at the accidental fright she gave.

No apology was verbally given, although Haru was able to laugh sheepishly at her own reaction. "You got me."

Mavis laughed lightly as well, showing off her strangely adorable fangs. "I hope you don't mind me intruding, but if you're going to be waiting a while for a room, would you like a tour of the hotel?"

Haru gaped in surprise. "Uh… _really_?" _'I know hotels go out of their way to be a pleasant experience, but the owner's_ _ **daughter**_ _taking an interest?'_

Mavis nodded excitedly as she straightened up a little, revealing herself about the same height as the human girl. "That was a pretty good joke, and you've got a friendly face. If you're not exhausted from traveling, I think I'd like to get to know you better. Did I hear that your name's Haru?"

Haru beamed happily while nodding. "Even if I was tired, I'd ignore it for _that_!" She gave a worried look to her rolling suitcase since she wasn't that interested in dragging it throughout the hotel.

"We can take it up to your room for you when one's ready, Miss Haru. Please enjoy your stay," the fly bade as a bellhop lumbered forward to take her luggage for her.

"Thank you, sir," Haru said gratefully, directing the words at both the zombie and the fly before turning to the young vampire.

Mavis was still grinning as she wrapped an arm around the brunette's shoulders and led her away from the desk so that a goblin could check in. "So, what _was_ the joke for?"

Haru couldn't fight a small grimace of disappointment as they entered a side hallway. "The guy in front of me seems to save the few good manners he has for humans only. I made a comment that most people would brush off, but he took it seriously. I thought I'd give him some food for thought. I wasn't expecting to be overheard."

Mavis frowned as their pace slowed next to a small table with exotic flowers sitting on it. "That's definitely not the right attitude to bring _here_ of all places."

Haru shrugged, although she was getting a cold pit in her stomach. "Maybe he's here for a convention, but didn't have a choice in the location?"

The older girl's large blue eyes seemed to sharpen like daggers as she pulled a cell phone from the pocket of her tunic-length sweater. "The only convention for the next week involves monsters Dad and I already know. Do you mind if I send him a text real quick?"

The cold pit in Haru's stomach seemed to grow. "You think that guy's up to something?"

Mavis was already tapping out a message with her thumbs, unintentionally showing off her black nail polish. "I don't know, but Dad can find out and deal with it if he is. There!" she said with some satisfaction, sending the message off before giving her new friend a hopeful expression. "As long as I have this out, would you mind forwarding that picture you took? You wouldn't have been that happy to get it if it was only passable."

"Oh, how you underestimate the fangirl," Haru laughed. "But it turned out about perfect. Is there a safe place for me to charge my phone? I played a few too many games on the plane after I finished my book." She threw her hands up in a 'what can you do?' fashion. "I was originally going to charge it and go exploring afterward since Mom wanted a lot of pictures."

Mavis pursed her lips in thought. "If you came all the way from Japan, I guess I can get wait until tomorrow. Do you think your mom would mind _me_ sending her pictures instead?"

Haru bit both of her lips, desperately holding back a laugh as she vividly imagined her mother's reaction to the new number. "My mother's fangirling centers on your family," she managed to say in a perfectly calm tone. "If you start texting her, we might be able to hear her squeal from here."

Mavis quirked an eyebrow, getting her phone ready for a new contact before handing it over. "So if I threw in some pictures of Dennis, I'll have her wrapped around my finger?"

Haru's heart was still pounding with glee as she tapped her mother's number into the phone and added the usual information. "She's already wrapped around your finger. But she'll never turn down Dennis pictures, since you've been pretty good about keeping him out of the limelight."

The young vampire grinned, wrapping an arm around Haru's shoulder again to pull her close for a selfie with the returned phone. "Let's see if we can make her night then."


	3. The World

Zinging in the Train

Chapter 3: The World

 _To the world, you may be one person. But to one person, you may be the world._

 _-Unknown_

xxXxx

 _Your daughter is a sweetheart. If you want her back, you better bring a crowbar._

Mavis could already tell that would have been a true statement, even if she and her father **hadn't** recognized the angel on sight. She sent off the picture and text before looking up into that familiar, friendly face.

 _Aunt Lucy_. One of the biggest reasons she had been eager since childhood to go out and meet humans. No matter how bad the stories were from her father and uncles, if there was one kind human, there were bound to be others.

And considering what _would_ happen as soon as that last uncle got here, it certainly wasn't going to hurt anything to butter up the hero's mother a little. She started flicking through her photos, stopping at only the best ones of her family to send to the woman.

"Can I take it for granted that something happened for your mom to not be here, too?" Mavis asked casually as they both leaned against the stone wall to let a trio of cleaning witches fly by on their broomsticks.

Surprisingly, her childhood idol scowled a little. "Mom's boss is anti-monster, and he knows if Mom's given any significant time off, she'll come here in a heartbeat. Her co-workers keep getting convenient little 'emergencies' that only Mom can cover for. Which she can, she's awesome," Haru quickly asserted with a proud smile. "But it's hard not to get resentful when everyone else gets to have uninterrupted vacation and she's forced to cancel hers year after year. If that snob didn't pay for all that over time, she'd have switched jobs years ago."

Mavis found a particularly cute photo from the time she snuck up on her father and son playing with toy cars, sound effects and all. _'_ _ **That**_ _one's going to her mom.'_ "So how did you talk her into letting you come halfway across the world by yourself?" she asked curiously, still searching for more cute photos.

Haru then managed a smirk, leaning over slightly to whisper in a conspiratorial manner. "I convinced her that I'm bait. It's one thing to refuse an employee vacation time, but when the employee's only child is halfway across the world all by her lonesome, she'd have grounds for a lawsuit if he tries the 'So-and-so's called in, and you need to cover for them' routine." She tilted her head against the stone wall behind her and breathed a deep, contented sigh. "We've read enough of the hotel's reviews to know that your dad won't stand for anything _too_ ridiculous to happen to one of his guests, and I feel completely safe here."

' _We'll make sure history won't repeat itself,'_ Mavis could only promise mentally for now. That was the reason why she volunteered to bodyguard her uncle's reincarnated Zing until he could get here. She hadn't even waited for her father to ask her. It was only logical; as a fellow young lady, she could stay right next to Haru the entire night and not raise any suspicions, and the last thing anyone wanted to do was scare _this_ human off.

Her cell phone gave a cheerful ping to let her know that the mother was responding to her texts.

 _ **Please tell Haru to give you a big hug for me. That last picture nearly made me swoon.**_

Mavis laughed warmly before passing on the message.

"Told you," Haru said a little smugly, feeling no shame about giving her new friend a warm embrace.

The young vampire sighed happily at the sweet affection. " _This_ is what I missed out on growing up. There aren't a lot of monsters my age, or mental level."

Haru responded by deepening the hug. "Well. Better late than never, right?"

Mavis couldn't resist sending another text while her arms were still around Haru.

 _Forget the crowbar, you'll need a tank. She's a champion hugger!_

 _ **You're telling ME! Would you mind making sure she stays out of trouble while she's there? You're a mom, too. I shouldn't need to explain a thing.**_

Mavis smirked grimly as her thumbs tapped out a response.

 _You don't. Anyone that tries to mess with her will not survive ME._

"Are you really just talking with my mom behind my back?" Haru asked suspiciously.

"I doubt she's saying anything that would shock you," Mavis assured her, giving one more squeeze before letting go.

Haru could only roll her eyes heavenward while also letting go. "My random guess is 'please keep my baby from doing anything stupid'."

"More or less. Do you do stupid things that often?" she asked while trying to sound only curious. _'Heroic's a better word, but oh well.'_

Haru blushed and turned to look at a random painting of a banshee. "Often enough," she mumbled under her breath.

Mavis grinned, unable to stop herself from gently prodding one of the human's arms. "Like what?" she begged.

Haru gave her a nervous glance before almost frantically looking up and down the hall to be sure they were still alone. Taking a deep breath, she leaned close and started whispering. "Listen, if I tell you, you have to swear never to tell anyone. Mom would _kill_ me if she found out about last week."

The vampire's eyebrow quirked up in interest, but she still crossed over her heart with one finger. "Not even Johnny needs to know. So what'd you do?" she begged with a silly smile.

Haru kept silent long enough for a human couple that looked like they had been drinking too much to stumble from an adjoining corridor and sloppily open the door to their room.

It was all Mavis could do to keep herself from physically throwing them into the room and closing them in!

As soon as the two finally remembered to kick the door shut behind them, Haru leaned close again, and quickly whispered, "I broke my best friend's lacrosse stick rescuing a cat from becoming road kill. I got a little too close to becoming road kill myself."

Although Mavis knew it was inappropriate, she couldn't help grinning from ear to ear. _'She hasn't changed a bit!'_

Haru starting rubbing one arm out of guilty nerves. "Besides, Hiromi did plenty of yelling at me, and it took a good chunk of my savings to buy her a new lacrosse stick. I'm not sorry about what I did, but why sign up to get yelled at if it won't change anything?"

Still grinning, Mavis wrapped an arm around her and started leading her down the side corridor the drunk people had emerged from. "Do everyone a favor. _Don't_ change." She snuck in another hug with the arm that was around her new friend. "Hungry?"

"A little," Haru admitted, turning a little sheepish about it. "I've spent the last day surviving on peanuts and an overpriced sandwich. You'd think that if airlines were going to charge _that_ much for food, they could manage better than mediocre."

Mavis pulled a face. "Yeah, Johnny's said the same thing. But don't worry, we've got an excellent army of cooks, some of which specialize in human cuisine. Johnny insisted while we were looking over menus for our wedding."

Haru couldn't fight back a dreamy smile. "I wish I had been there."

' _You_ _ **should**_ _have been there.'_ Mavis was dying to say it but didn't dare.

Yet.

Mavis pulled out her phone with her free hand to start texting. "Mind if I invite my husband and son to join us?"

"I'd be delighted," Haru assured her with a wide grin. "But don't be surprised if I try to hug Dennis. He's just too _cute_!"

Normally, Mavis would have seen red at some stranger offering to get that close to her baby. Although Haru technically counted as a stranger since this was their first meeting in either of her lifetimes, nothing could change what this human had meant to her personally.

Instead, she hugged Haru around the shoulders again as they approached the dining hall. "He's a loving boy, so he won't mind."

They entered a darkly lit theatre with booths all facing the stage where Jareth was once again abusing Kareoke night for all he was worth, making a sultry pose across one lovely young woman's table as he crooned sweetly into the microphone. He even added insult to injury by helping himself to something on her plate between words. She tried to bat his hand away, but that only encouraged both him and his wicked smirk.

Haru quickly raised an eyebrow at Mavis, who could only laugh.

"Don't worry, they're married."

ooOoo

Haru was a _natural_ with monsters! Not even Johnny's family were this comfortable with monsters yet!

Mavis couldn't help beaming after dinner when Winnie had met them outside the dining hall. The tiny werepup was glaring jealously at the human girl cuddling Dennis happily. It was all she could manage to hold back a ferocious growl.

"Hi, Winnie! That's my best friend, Winnie," her little angel told their new friend proudly while pointing at the werepup.

"Oh! Nice to meet you, Winnie," Haru greeted her with a wide smile, shifting Dennis to one arm and offering the other to the young werewolf while leaning over. "This arm's open if you're interested."

Winnie blinked, though her eyes were still suspicious as she hopped onto the arm and made herself comfortable as Haru stood up. As was customary, Winnie did some sniffing around the human's shoulder and neck in way of greeting before her blue eyes widened in shock. " _Oh_! I'm sorry, ma'am! I didn't realize it was you."

Mavis felt herself freeze up in the act of taking a picture of Haru holding the children. _'Not now!'_

"Me, who?" Haru asked, pausing in mid-nuzzle with the werepup's fur, and now looking confused.

"The lady that-" Winnie tried to say, but Mavis was quicker.

"Where's Tinkles? You know how Papa Drac doesn't like him being loose in the hotel," she reminded the two with a stern look.

"He's sleeping in my room, Mom," Dennis assured her, although Haru was giving him an odd look.

"Is this the same Tinkles that ripped up a wing of the hotel?"

"He _what_?!" Johnny nearly screamed, snapping out of his usually goofy mood like a whip.

"Dad's already taking care of it, honey," Mavis assured him, not wanting to admit to the lie with Haru standing right there.

She'd have plenty of time to enjoy her complimentary upgrade to a suite after her Zing gets here. Or maybe not. Knowing her uncle, Haru could be due to check out of the hotel before getting that much alone time.

"Tinkles didn't mean it, he really is a good boy," Dennis was assuring their new friend while patting her cheek. "Would you like to meet him?"

Haru tilted her head while thinking it over. "If he's sleeping, it'd be rude to wake him up. Whatever he is."

"He's my puppy, and if you give good scratches, he'll like you as much as we do!" Dennis promised, levitating himself out of Haru's arm in order to tug her hand down the hall to another set of stairs.

Haru looked a bit confused, but she still jogged to keep up with his pace, carefully cradling Winnie close with the other arm. "A _puppy_ wrecked a wing?"

Johnny soon caught up with Mavis, shaking his head insistently as they jogged to keep time with the human girl. "No, you don't understand. This isn't a puppy. It's a **puppy**!"

Haru barely had the time to quirk an eyebrow before tripping on the first step of the stairs. She yelped in surprise but managed to swing her body in mid-air enough to take the impact instead of Winnie who yipped all the same.

"Oh no, I'm sorry!" Dennis gasped, letting go of her hand as Johnny stopped gratefully to pant and Mavis knelt by her childhood hero.

"I'm okay," Haru managed through gritted teeth, her pained expression showcasing the truth. "This is normal, don't worry about it."

"Do you need ice? I can call for ice," Mavis insisted, already feeling like she had let her hero down.

"Just a few seconds would be nice. I normally have to keep moving if I'm running late for school again," Haru managed to say cheerfully, raising herself to a more comfortable sitting position on the bottom stair so she could start rubbing at her sore ribs.

"I can walk if that will help," Winnie offered, guiltily climbing off the brunette's lap.

Haru offered the werepup a small smile. "I'm unfamiliar with these stairs, so I should probably take them a little slower than that." She experimentally rotated her feet around to check for injuries. "Actually, it's probably a good thing I tripped. The only times when I don't is when someone needs my help."

Mavis couldn't suppress the chill that crawled up her spine. The thought had already occurred to her, but the innocent statement could only confirm what she already knew was the truth. _'She hasn't changed. Not even a little bit.'_

Still, it also probably meant that her father didn't need help with monitoring that rude human. It wasn't very often he could resist talking to her for so long, even with a text.

Taking in a calmer breath, Haru used the wall to steady herself as she got to her feet. "Okay, I'm ready for your puppy now. Just take it slow for me, Dennis?"

Her little angel nodded, taking the human's hand again as Winnie beat them to the top of the stairs.

Mavis intentionally grabbed her husband's elbow to encourage him to fall behind with her. "Honey, when we get to our rooms, I need you to create a small distraction," she whispered urgently as they took the steps side by side.

"What for?" he couldn't resist asking.

"I need to cover up _that_ portrait before Haru sees it. She's calm and happy, there's no need to scare her," his wife begged while using her blue eyes like the weapons they were. "She'll have everything explained soon enough, but we need to be gentle in the meantime."

Hypnotism was a male trait in vampires, but Mavis still thought it was because women didn't need it.

As expected, Johnny melted even faster than her father. "Leave it to me," he promised as they reached the top of the stairs and finished with a jog to their own quarters.


	4. True Love

Zinging in the Train

Chapter 4: True Love

 _Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a time._

 _-Westley, 'The Princess Bride'_

xxXxx

Under ordinary circumstances, Baron Humbert von Gikkingen would have been insatiably curious as to why there were flashing police cars leaving the hotel's parking lot.

But for now, his curiosity was centered elsewhere.

Toto made a hard landing on the cobblestones, 'conveniently' forgetting that he was carrying someone in his claws. "My my! This is the softest landing cushion I ever-"

"Not now!" Baron snapped, jumping from his friend's back and landing squarely on his feet.

There were a _few_ perks in being forced to renounce one's humanity.

"Where is she?" he demanded of Dracula, who for some reason or another was standing outside the hotel with his usual gang.

Griffon huffed indignantly. "Nice to see you, too!"

"Hey, be nice," Frank admonished him, using the Invisible Man's glasses to guess where to rest his giant hand on one shoulder. "No one thought he'd get a second shot at her."

"Miss Yoshioka is perfectly fine," Dracula informed the frazzled feline while coming forward enough to briefly shake hands. "Mavis hasn't left her side since the front desk."

Baron breathed a small sigh of relief, not paying that much attention to his own two best friends that were finishing up another pointless scuffle behind his back. "That is good to hear, but it doesn't precisely answer my question."

Dracula nodded while pulling out his cell phone.

Baron couldn't help but feel a little smug over that. "I hope you know it still amuses me to watch you struggle with that."

Dracula managed a glare as he attempted to tap at the glass surface around his long nails. "Go ahead and say 'I told you to stay up to date with human technology'."

Baron couldn't help chuckling over that. "It's maturing so rapidly that _I_ can't keep up with it like I used to."

"Mavie? He's here!" Dracula told the device triumphantly after she answered. "Where are you and Miss Yoshioka?"

" _Her name's_ _ **Haru**_ _, Dad. Meeting Tinkles wore her out, so she's sleeping in my living room with the kids. Tell Uncle Baron to come in quietly._ "

Yet another reason he was no longer upset about his enforced change. He didn't have to wait for Dracula to relay the message since his large triangular ears could pick up the soft sound. "Thank you," the uncle in question said politely before turning back to the giant crow. "Do you recall which window belongs to Mavis?"

"Feeling _that_ impatient, huh?" the shapeshifter taunted, though flying up enough to offer his friend one claw.

Baron had to jump to catch the claw, but it was a minor thing compared to what was waiting for him. "Do I really need to answer that?"

"Hey! What about me?" Muta could be heard howling, but Baron could see that Murray was already wrapping an arm around him in consolation.

"Of course not, Baron. Here you go!" Toto called while flinging the cat at one of the few windows the hotel had to offer. The claw let go of his wrist at just the right height for Baron to swing himself into Mavis' window.

Unfortunately for the feline lord, he remembered a certain mistake too late.

Birds are notoriously bad at telling the difference between glass and open air.

Thankfully, he had the sense to close his eyes before the impact.

Mavis gave a little gasp in surprise as glass shattered, spilling shards and werecat across the red and gold carpet. But that surprise soon turned to anger since explosions were all too common in this place. "I _knew_ I forgot to do something before you got here!"

From outside the window, they could distantly hear Dracula yell about the glass.

"Trouble?!" Haru stuttered, startled awake enough to start extracting herself from the kids that had been nestled into the blanket with her against the puppy's large side.

Winnie gave a small whine as she and Dennis woke up from the sudden lack of body warmth.

"No no, no trouble, Haru," Johnny assured her, holding his hands out in a 'please do nothing' gesture while intentionally setting himself between the two. "A family friend dropped by, that's all."

' _No! Not like this!'_ Baron panicked as he tried to sit up, but the wind had been knocked out of him.

"You know, most people mean that metaphorically," his soul mate countered- _oh, she'd fit right in with his friends!_

The young lady that had been the center of his life for more than a century poked her head just enough around Johnny to get a good look at him, still rubbing sleep out of one eye.

Baron didn't have time to feel self-conscious about his undignified position, half kneeling in the broken glass, before he heard the sharp intake of breath and saw her puppy brown eyes become a shade larger as a purple light flashed through them.

Haru didn't so much as blink when a strangely scrawny witch flew by the window with a young human girl on her broomstick and made all the glass shards return to a solid piece in the framework before heading off to her next mess. The young girl could be heard laughing with delight.

Baron didn't notice, but Jonathan was doing his best to keep Tinkles from approaching Baron for neck scratches. The giant dog whimpered, but reluctantly laid down again for the rest of his nap.

The feline lord tried to open his mouth to say something to her, but his jaw suddenly felt too dry and cramped.

"So _that's_ a Zing," his angel breathed, sounding heavily impressed despite the unfortunate position he was in. But then she blushed in embarrassment, holding one hand to her mouth as if she had only meant to think it.

The feline managed a light laugh as he finished getting to his feet. "I'm deeply grateful that Mavis and Jonathan managed to tell you what that is, because it may have proved a challenge to convince you myself."

"Uh, unless Mavis mentioned it before dinner, no one said a thing," the young man offered, sharing a confused look with his wife, who only shook her head before giving the young lady a curious look.

That _breathtaking_ blush deepened as she began staring at the ground. "I've known the term since I was a kid," she admitted, clenching and unclenching her fists to help with her nerves. "I thought it was made up, but…" she managed another shy glance at Baron.

There was probably no way of retracing who gave her that information, but the werecat was grateful that she still wasn't frightened by his attention.

He finished brushing wrinkles out of his light grey jacket with one gloved hand before taking the needed steps to close the distance between him and his Zing to give her a proper bow. He would have held his hat to his heart, but he had been in too big a hurry to get here to grab it. "I seem to be cursed to give you terrible first impressions. My name is Baron Humbert von Gikkingen, and I've been waiting a long time to meet you."

Her sweet face blushed even more, but she jumped slightly at his name. "Wait, aren't you the guy that founded the Refuge in the Black Forest?"

Baron blinked in surprise. "You've heard of me?"

She answered by blinding him with that brilliant smile of hers. "I once found an article on when you managed to get your college officially recognized as such so your students wouldn't need a forged diploma. I did a little background research, but there were a few too many trash sources to sift through. What you stated as the purpose of the Refuge really impressed me. I hope there are more places like that for new monsters to adjust."

Baron was grinning triangular ear to triangular ear from the praise. "If there were, I wouldn't have felt compelled to start one myself. Drac and the others did what they could to help me after I was changed, but none of them had the like-mindedness I desperately craved. There are many in the Refuge that have chosen to stay instead of taking a chance in the human world."

Haru beamed again. "I'll have to come…" But then she stopped and laughed a little sheepishly rubbing the back of her neck. "Well, it seems pretty inevitable that I'll get to come see it at some point. I'm Haru Yoshioka," she added with a hasty bow.

"Anytime you wish, Haru," he promised her eagerly, his tongue tasting her new name happily. "You know we have a good college there, so you wouldn't have to halt studies, at least." _'And I can_ _ **personally**_ _ensure a full scholarship for you, regardless of your chosen profession.'_

Haru held up her hands in a 'slow down' gesture, looking a little panicked. "Let me worry about graduating high school first. That's tough enough for now. So, what brings you to the hotel?"

"You, of course," Baron answered automatically, since he didn't see a reason to beat around the bush.

Haru blinked, giving Mavis and Jonathan a strange look. "I thought a Zing would be a bit too personal to be that predictable. How could either of you had known?"

Mavis offered a nervous laugh, swinging Dennis into one arm so that she could fling her arm at a wall behind the human.

Haru whirled around in confusion but gasped as a red curtain flew back to reveal an old-fashioned portrait.

Perhaps that wasn't the best way to describe it. It had clearly been painted some time ago, and the colors and style all reflected the fact. But usually in portraits like this one, the center of attention was dignified, or at least respectable. A painting of _that_ quality usually implied that someone stood around for hours in perfect stillness.

Yet, this portrait had the definite feeling of a photograph, taken at just the right second to capture an unrehearsed smile at full bloom.

Baron watched Haru draw closer, though he followed her in a heartbeat. He stood by her side to admire the heart he had poured into the portrait for one of Mavis' birthday presents.

A lovely young woman, only a few years older than Haru, was sitting in one of the red benches of a train car, two seats ahead and to the right of where the werecat had been sitting when the moment happened. As per the time period, she had a long blue dress that left only her face and gloved hands visible. Though the dark color of the dress and matching hat seemed to highlight how pale the girl's skin was, save for her cheeks which were flaming pink from excitement. A green silk scarf was intricately knotted around her throat, and her pale blue eyes were sparkling with happiness. Her long hair was as black as onyx, and skillfully twisted into a variation of the bun that most proper women were sporting at the time. Even her hat was simple in design, which made the sparkle he had struggled to put into the simple ball-ended brass hat pin stand out all the more.

"So _that's_ why Haru looked familiar!" Winnie gasped from her place on Jonathan's shoulder.

Baron's eyes trailed fondly to the young lady standing next to him, who had one hand against the part of her mint green turtleneck that was visible through her long blue coat. It wasn't the same style as the dress, of course, but the navy color was nearly identical. She was still pale, though not nearly so much as her other life, and the brown in her hair and eyes were just as enchanting to him as the black and blue had been, all those years ago. He had no trouble admitting to himself that he rather fancied how her hair looked when it was down to full shoulder-length.

Haru was barely breathing from the shock, her eyes trailing down to the brass plate Baron had inlaid directly into the frame, which was thicker than normal to allow enough room for a fitting eulogy.

 _Louise 'Lucy' Westenra_

 _March 17, 1877- May 3, 1897_

 _Quick to apologize, slow to pass judgment,_

 _Swift to befriend, and even swifter to defend,_

 _A true friend and protector,_

 _No matter who you are._

The door behind them opened, making Baron turn a little to see who was intruding.

Dracula came in first, soon followed by the others. Murray. Frank with his wife. Wayne with his own wife. Griffon came in with Toto and Muta, almost pointedly keeping himself between the two at full arm-length. Toto had needed to switch to his half-crow, half-human form to fit through the door.

"How did she take it?" Dracula asked worriedly, standing beside his family as the others made a half-circle around the portrait.

"That remains to be seen," Baron answered, raising one hand to the small of her back when he noticed that the love of his life had begun swaying like a pendulum. "Perhaps you would like to sit down, Haru? I understand completely that you only came here for a vacation."

"Even my birthday," Haru muttered to herself in numb disbelief as she stared at the brass plate. After another moment she did her best to recollect herself, taking in a deep breath before giving him a stern look. "I've never smiled like that in my life," she stated flatly.

He grinned, pulling out his cell phone to open his gallery. "While I _hate_ to start this conversation off with an argument, I have something in here that begs to differ." In mere seconds, he had the first photo his friends had sent him of her, standing in line for the front desk. He showed her the picture with a smug expression.

Her face had been upturned perhaps a story over her, and there was a wide smile of delight as her eyes sparkled with happiness.

It admittedly wasn't as intense as the one she had given him after he had promised to come for her over a century ago, but it still got the point across.

Haru was blushing when she closed her eyes. "Or people aren't normally that prepared when I get in a really good mood," she grudgingly admitted, giving another speculative look at the portrait. "The only other inaccuracy I can see is that Hiromi's hair isn't red," she added while pointing at the young lady leaning her head on Lucy's shoulder in sweet slumber. "It's more of a sandy blonde these days."

That girl's face was turned the wrong direction for the portrait, but Baron was privately amused that his beloved didn't need to see that face to know who it belonged to. Perhaps the comfortable stance on her shoulder was all she needed.

Griffon gave an agonized groan, making Haru look at the pair of glasses speculatively. " _That_ one nearly made me throw myself off the train! She wouldn't stop chattering about useless things until you finally remembered to rein her in!"

"Yep, that's my Hiromi," Haru confirmed with a loving sigh filled with resignation. "I sometimes wonder how she gets oxygen since she never pauses for a breath unless a teacher brought duct tape."

Frank groaned, covering his face with one giant hand. " _Believe_ me, we know. We were only on that train for maybe eight hours, and you spent half of that time pretending to be asleep so that Mina would stop talking."

Haru's adorable blush changed from cherry blossom to regular cherry. "Don't judge me! It's kept her from getting lynched on field trips more than once!" she snapped, not bothering to deny that she would do something like that.

"Or brainwashed into thinking she's mute for the rest of the trip," Dracula offered darkly, even the tips of his cape collar pointing down with his mood. "In any case, you two had obviously arranged for you to sleep during the daylight and her to sleep at night. Her opinion was that it was for safety, but I've long had my doubts."

Haru could only rub her head with both hands at the implications. "The more things change, the more they stay the same. What an understatement!"

"Would it be all right if I put my arms around you?" Baron couldn't resist begging anymore as the twitching in his arms became more pronounced. "I never got the chance last time."

Haru twitched in surprise, sparing that brass plate one more look before offering a shy nod.

Baron wasted no time wrapping her into an embrace! Everything about it was _perfect_ , the way she felt in his arms, how she was just slightly cool enough to feel his own warmth slowly be absorbed. He smiled in bliss, his arms locked with a gentle possessiveness that he could only pray she would understand.

Thankfully, he could feel the stiffness in her stance relax at his touch, and she even leaned against him slightly. He tightened his hold on her happily, purring into one of her ears by accident. That purr only increased when he felt her perfect arms wiggle out of his hold to wrap comfortably around his chest.

"Aww, isn't that sweet?" Eunice sniffed while dabbing her eyes with a Kleenex that Wanda had offered to her, since a mother of _that_ many children always knows to keep tissues on hand.

Muta grunted, passing Toto some money with a scowl. "Couldn't you have freaked out a _little_ more about a werecat claiming to be your soulmate?" he pleaded at Haru, who managed a giggle in response.

"Oh no. I'm a girl that likes cats and is enthusiastically curious about monsters that's permanently getting a cat monster in my life. However will I cope?"

"I'm liking this girl more every minute," Toto commented with a smirk, pocketing his winnings.

Baron opened one green eye to glare at his fatter friend. "She sensed a connection and wanted to explore it when she _didn't_ know what the 'purple lightning' meant. It's not her fault you waste your money."

Everyone laughed as the large werecat sulked.

"Why is it every day around here is 'pick on Muta' day?" he complained.

"Because there's enough of you to go around," Toto responded in a heartbeat, using his half-wings to perch the best he could manage on a buttress before Muta tried pouncing.

"If that's all you two are interested in, take it outside!" Dracula ordered, though it took a little longer to smother the almost perpetual feud.

Still locked in Baron's embrace, Haru was catching a few more glimpses of the portrait on the other side of the cat's shoulder, using the time to carefully think through something.

Once Muta had calmed down, and Toto had been coaxed from the ceiling, she was ready to say her piece. "Here is my prediction, since this is my first hug with Baron in either of my lives. Everything was fine on the train, something crazy dangerous happened, so I did something crazier that may or may not have worked, but it turned out to be more than I could handle, as Mom's been predicting for years would happen if I don't learn to control myself during emergencies."

Murray gave a sad laugh. "That gets right to the point, doesn't it?"

"It's almost like she knows she's crazy," Toto added, thrilled that she looked more flattered at the comment than anything.

But Haru wasn't finished yet. "Also, because I'm faster on my feet than Hiromi, she either came in during the last bit or when I was possibly already dead. She would have assumed that _you_ killed me without question," she directed specifically at Dracula, who nodded encouragingly, "and spun rumors to gain anti-monster support to 'avenge' me until Stoker wrote that Humanist propaganda that got everything but a handful of the names and some of your abilities wrong."

That last bit made him start in surprise. "So _that's_ how he got only the names right!" he fumed. "If I could really control the weather, I'd just make clouds appear whenever I wanted to go out in the daytime!"

"That's what Mom's been insisting," Haru agreed, letting herself soak in more of Baron's warmth.

"Don't even get me started on the crucifix thing!" he continued as his eyes actually started glowing red. "They might as well hold up a 'No Trespassing' sign for all the good it would do anyone that _really_ annoys me!"

Despite the fact that look had made whole villages collapse in fear, Haru was now biting her lip to keep from laughing. "Mom told me to say that if you're not interested in writing an autobiography yourself, she'd be happy to type anything you dictate."

Dracula blinked, giving an odd look at his daughter who nodded happily.

"Haru and her mom are the fans from Japan sending Dennis the handmade toys and quilts for his birthday. We can trust her as much as Haru."

The little boy in question was hugging one of the toys in question, rubbing his cheek on a stegosaurus as he stared sadly at Haru.

Dracula's brow furrowed in thought as he drew a little closer. "I'll think about it, and I liked how you did the last few toys. But you still deserve to know certain details, Haru."

She nodded, adjusting her hold on Baron so that she could keep her large brown eyes on the vampire.

"The 'crazy dangerous' was more of an annoyance that had one moment of competence. I've been outwitting the Van Helsings for generations, so it was well-known by those that still believed in monsters that they were after me specifically. The current one came into the train car after I helped you pass a note to Baron telling him where to track you down later and revealed us. We ran out of the car and on top of the following ones to get away from him, and I shoved the others off the train to deal with him myself."

"Where did we all land again? Oh yeah, on _trees_!" Griffin yelled angrily. "Great way to keep us safe, wasn't it?!"

"I managed to swing on a branch," Baron confided into one of Haru's ears. "But it was still a jarring experience. Without any plan, we just gathered together after we were done groaning to wait for Dracula to join us. We spent the time putting Frank back together." There was still a bit of his bitterness present as he increased his hold on the girl. _'If I had only known…'_

Dracula shared a sympathetic look with his friend before continuing the story. "Just after I made it to the caboose, I felt a stinging in my leg from a dart. Since it took me a good day to really use the leg again, it was probably a potent combination of mercury and garlic specifically designed to paralyze me."

Haru's eyes went wider in horror, although it was obvious that he had survived the experience.

"I don't know what would have exactly happened if he had been able to shoot me with that glowing gun, but I'm more than certain that I wouldn't have lived long enough to meet Martha, let alone raise Mavis by myself." Smiling sadly, he shook his head in bewilderment as he continued to stare at Haru.

"But just as he was pulling the trigger, _you_ had caught up to him from behind and slammed your hat pin into his back. Neither of us heard you coming."

Haru blinked, tilting her head to look at the portrait again to study the unassuming pin holding her hat in place. "How long was it without my hair in the way?" she asked curiously.

Dracula measured a good distance between his thumb and pinkie to illustrate eight inches. "It broke off in his back. Your last words were 'Leave them alone'. I don't so much as know if you knew which one of us Van Helsing was threatening."

Haru was staring at her feet now. "I can tell you it wouldn't have mattered to me," she admitted while blushing again.

Baron rubbed his face against her hair, taking in its sweet scent in an attempt to deafen himself to what happened next.

"His thrashing was too much," Dracula forced himself to go on. "He lost his footing, and accidentally took both of you off the caboose while the train was at full speed. Since humans are more fragile than monsters…"

He didn't really need to continue.

"Baron… breathing," she gasped after the werecat tightened his grip one more time from the painful memory.

He closed his large green eyes and forced himself to loosen his hold enough for her to take in several thankful breaths, like a snake had decided halfway through crushing its prey that it wasn't that hungry after all. A little shame-faced, he reached into the inside pocket of his grey jacket and pulled out a small, old book bound in red leather.

He offered it to her while fighting back the dark memories. "I found this when Drac led us back to the spot to give you a proper burial. I hope you will forgive me, but I memorized it. It's how I knew your birthday for the plaque."

Haru experimentally opened the journal. "Even my handwriting's the same," she muttered under her breath as she scanned a random paragraph. "I wonder if Arthur's supposed to be Machida. Oh well, it's not like _that_ was getting anywhere," she sighed while snuggling deeper into the werecat's arms.

Baron moaned in disappointment. "So I don't get to challenge anyone for your hand, then?"

She managed a glaring smirk at him. "No. Thanks to my antics, I scared everyone off myself."

Dracula gave a pointed cough before offering her a very formal bow. "I know this is over a hundred years too late but thank you for saving my life. Thank you for allowing me to meet Martha and have Mavis and Dennis in my life. And I am more sorry than you can imagine that you had to wait this long to be with Baron. I will _never_ be able to repay what I owe to you."

Haru looked over at the daughter and grandson in question, a warm smile of love on her lips that was more than returned. "I'd be shocked if you could. Is Mavis anything like her mom?"

Dracula beamed at his pride and joy. "She doesn't have her mother's talent for poetry, but the sweet spirit is still there."

Suddenly Haru gasped, turning around almost painfully in order to stare at Dracula. Her huge eyes seemed wider than ever as they looked at nothing else but the famous vampire.

"Haru? What is wrong? You know all you have to do is say the word," he encouraged, leaning over so that their eyes would have an easier time meeting. "I don't think I can deny anything you want from me."

She gulped loudly before taking in a breath that somehow seemed to gather her courage as well as oxygen. "T-Two... lonely bats... crashed in the night," the human stammered.

Drac could feel his pupils tighten into pinpricks as his jaw simultaneously fell open. He could also hear Mavis gasp, but his sight remained on his sweet rescuer.

Haru had no choice but to notice that her words had already affected him, but she kept going. "They felt a Zing, love at first sight. They knew right then-"

"They would be husband and wife, for a Zing only happens just once in your life," Dracula continued the poem, making Baron cast a suspicious look between the two.

"Where on earth-" he tried to demand, but Mavis cut him off.

"Your Zing will come, my love. Treasure it. Love, Mommy," the shocked vampire nearly wept, making Jonathan hold her tightly against him, though he looked just as shocked as the other monsters.

"Wait, I didn't know about the 'Love, Mommy' part," Haru protested, but Dracula gently tilted her chin to lock eyes with her once more.

"Where did you learn that poem, Haru?" he begged, almost too afraid to hope.

Her hesitation was gone now. Wriggling one arm free of Baron's embrace, she pulled a black cell phone from her coat pocket. She attempted to turn it on, but it didn't so much as flicker.

Haru scowled at the uncooperative device. "I'm going to need my charger. You might be able to repay me, after all."


	5. In My Arms Again

Zinging in the Train

Chapter 5: In My Arms Again

 _Until you're in my arms again, remember me._

 _-'Remember Me', from 'Coco'_

xxXxx

The first thing Naoko did when she woke up was grab at her phone that had been charging on the bedside table.

There was still nothing from Haru, but Mavis had sent her more pictures since the quilt designer had forced herself to get some sleep. Naoko's heart filled with love and longing as she saw her pride and joy cuddle both Dennis and a young werewolf girl that was sniffing experimentally around her daughter's neck.

 _Bad news. Winnie recognized Haru's scent from the toys she's been making and sending Dennis, and Winnie could tell someone closely related to Haru did the quilts. I'll be hugging you personally for those quilts and notes of encouragement when you get here._

Naoko flinched, even though that would have come out sooner or later. "I can spoil him if I want to," she muttered under her breath while scrolling down for more pictures. "I never made Haru follow my example."

The next few had Haru meeting a dog that looked like he was supposed to be a puppy, but was taller than even Johnny who was trying to steady the pooch while Haru looked on with amazement.

 _Her reaction was 'that's not a puppy, that's a steed!' Not that far off from how Dennis rides Tinkles._

Naoko laughed, tapping out a response.

 _ **I'm pretty sure**_ _Haru_ _ **could use him as a steed. Please don't let her, she gets a little carried away in emergencies.**_

No one knew this better than her. The term 'Ferris wheel' was as taboo at her house as a swear word thanks to last year.

Sighing sadly, she forced herself to roll out of bed and stumble to the bathroom for a quick shower. She had never been much of a morning person, but when that's what the job demanded, that was what her duties included.

"It just isn't fair," she muttered under her breath as she rubbed conditioner into her short auburn hair before rinsing it back out. "Stinking Naraku and his 'thou shalt not walk into the Devil's den even though it's not my business what you do away from work'." The aching in her arms increased as her mind replayed the pictures Mavis had been sending.

Every part of her ached to be there, in Transylvania with her little Haru. She could only hope that with a vampire around, Haru could be held back from anything foolish, but Naoko still had her doubts about how well that would work. Haru could be _very_ determined when she felt there was a good enough reason to get grounded until Christmas.

Through the running water, she could hear her phone go off.

"Dang it," she muttered under her breath, turning off the water and wrapping a hotel robe around her before running out of the bathroom.

Tenth floor means nothing to a person with a good set of binoculars, and Hong Kong _was_ highly populated.

Naoko answered it before getting a look at the Caller I.D. in order to catch the call. "If this is someone calling in sick again, that's too bad, because I **am** leaving when my classes are done!"

"… Hi, Mom."

It wasn't Haru speaking.

Naoko gave a startled gasp, all her tension washing away like a second shower. Tears began falling as well, but she barely noticed as she slowly sat at the foot of the stiff bed. "Mavis? Sweetie, is that you?" she begged, holding the phone with both hands that craved to hold her forgotten child instead.

Between the poem that had lingered in her mind as far back as she could remember and seeing Dracula's photo after that genius invented the ghost lens, it hadn't been _that_ difficult to figure out who she was in a past life.

"… _Mom,_ " Mavis repeated like it was all she could think of to say as she struggled not to cry. There was a violent ruckus going on in the background, but it wasn't enough to smother her words.

Naoko could feel her heart overflow with love for the daughter she hadn't realized she lost. It took everything the poor woman had to keep her words legible through the tears. "I'm so sorry, Mavis. I've been trying to come, I really have. Even before I figured out you were mine. I want to be there with you so much, it _hurts_!"

"… Why didn't you say anything?" she asked in a tiny voice. "Attach a photo to one of those quilts? In one of those notes? _Something_?"

Naoko closed her eyes with a deep breath. "I wanted to see your father Zing when he saw me," she admitted. "I wasn't sure he would, since a Zing only happens once. And let's face it; he _is_ the most famous monster on the planet. He probably gets plenty of women throwing themselves at him, and I wanted him to take me seriously."

Her vampiric daughter gave a light laugh through her tears. "He Zinged just fine, and he steps over admirers when he bothers to notice them. Mom, listen; Uncle Frank and Uncle Murray are physically holding him down from trying to come to you."

Naoko gave a startled glance to her window even as her heart pounded at the idea of meeting her Zing after years of trying to make the first move. "He'd race right into the sun, it's already morning here!"

"I know. That's why I'm begging you to get on a plane right now."

Naoko opened her mouth to bring up her work obligations, but her voice box was refusing to cooperate. It wasn't that she hadn't been dying to do it for years, but as a grown adult, you don't just walk away from your responsibilities just because there was somewhere else you'd rather be.

Mavis didn't give up. "Mom, Haru's explained about your boss. You _know_ he's going to get in the way again whether she's here or not. And even if we let Dad go to you tonight, your boss is bound to make taking you look like a kidnapping to invent a scandal, no matter how politely Dad asks to see you. Please. Haven't I been waiting long enough to know you?"

Naoko felt her resistance crumble like a sandcastle. It was one thing to tell herself no, but she had no defenses against that helpless pleading.

Switching her phone to speaker, she left it on the bed so that she could rifle through her clothes with one hand and use the other to close the blinds on the closest window. "You know? It might be a good idea to get out of here before the person he chases off gets too far. It would serve him right if he wound up having to do my schedule himself!"

Mavis sighed happily before calling out. "She's coming, Dad! Johnny, can you get online and make sure a plane ticket's waiting for her?"

"On it," a young man answered as a tapping sound was soon heard.

"Oh, and Mom?" Mavis added a little wistfully.

"Yes, Sweetie?" she asked while picking out a casual dress that would be comfortable enough for traveling and hopefully stun her Zing when they _finally_ met in person.

"Thanks for the little sister. I've always wanted one, and Haru's _perfect_."

Naoko smiled, feeling her heart melt as she slipped the dress on. _'I can warn them about her suicidal tendencies later.'_ "I was hoping you'd like each other." She paused while slipping a pair of sandals on. Her lungs inhaled painfully as she tried not to show how concerned she was about the next question. "Does your father?"

Her vampire daughter laughed almost darkly. "Don't even worry about that. Just don't. I can hear him plotting from over here to spoil Haru rotten."

"It can't be done," an unfamiliar voice insisted before Naoko got the chance to say it.

Naoko paused again while shrugging on a jacket. "Who was that?"

"Um…" Mavis tried to answer uneasily, but a swift step indicated someone walking closer to the phone.

The unfamiliar voice answered in a British accent that was not going to put up with being questioned. "My name is Baron. I am the one that's going to be keeping Haru from getting herself killed from now on. She will likely do a good bit of yelling and throwing things at me when it happens, but at least she'll be alive to do it."

"Well, that's _one_ way to get in her good graces," Haru could be heard muttering under her breath.

Naoko could feel her heart give a painful twang. "Did I miss out on _both_ of my girls' Zings?" she asked, mentally begging to be told 'no'.

"I'm afraid so, Madam. The only thing marring this occasion is your absence."

Fresh tears falling down her cheeks, Naoko harshly grabbed what remained of her belongings and shoved them into her rolling luggage so she could zip it up. "I am so _out of this dump_!" she snarled, unzipping her bag for a second so that she could take a few swipes at her hair with a brush.

"It's all set up," Jonathan could be heard calling. "If she gets there within an hour, she'll be here by this time tomorrow!"

"Then I'm gone. I'll hold you to your promise to keep Haru out of trouble, Baron," Naoko informed her future son-in-law.

"I would be disappointed if you didn't. Safe journey, Madam."

The connection ended after that, and Naoko couldn't help feeling more relieved than annoyed. If her previous husband had gotten on the phone, she would have loved it, but the chances of missing her flight would have skyrocketed. Her heart pounded at the thought of finally getting to talk to him, but she inhaled a deep breath to calm her nerves.

"All in due time," she reminded herself. "Just like I can tell Baron later there's no need to be _that_ formal with me."

She quickly used the room phone to ask the front desk to have a cab waiting for her downstairs before harshly tugging her luggage off the bed. She didn't want to take _any_ chances of not getting to the airport on time. The woman nearly ran for the door, just barely remembering to grab her room key to check out of the fancy hotel.

Ha! It dared to call itself 'fancy' when it had nothing on Hotel Transylvania. But then, what could?

While wheeling her suitcase to the elevator, Naoko did her best to be both swift and discrete so as not to alert anyone to-

"Yoshioka?! What are you doing, checkout's not until next week!" a familiar voice called from behind her, soon followed by rapidly approaching steps.

The middle-aged woman didn't need to look behind her to see who it was. All she could do was force the hand dragging her luggage to relax in preparation.

Sure enough, her boss grabbed her by her free arm to yank her harshly away from the elevator she had nearly reached. "This is going to cost you, Yoshioka! As if trying to back out early isn't bad enough, Ami's been-"

Naoko would have died before admitting it to Haru, but her dear daredevil daughter hadn't inherited _all_ her reckless behavior from her late father alone.

The sound of breaking bone was even more satisfying than she had hoped for. Naraku howled in pain but tried to muffle it by covering the lower half of his face with both of his hands. Despite his attempts to conceal it, a trickle of blood soon flowed down his chin to stain the collar of his fancy button-up shirt.

" _How dare you touch me?!_ " Naoko yelled at the top of her lungs, both because she had already made it plain that she didn't appreciate his attempts to restrain her and to keep him from pulling a victim moment with security. "You are not my husband, not my significant other or my significant _anything_!"

Yes, it was embarrassing to note from the corners of her eye that a cleaning lady had stopped to stare at them, and she could hear more than one hotel door open curiously, but she didn't dare stop there.

"You are a control freak that has no right to decide what I do away from the office! I am _five years late_ for a family reunion because of you!"

His red eyes went huge with disbelief, even his muffled moans of agony turning into a surprised gasp.

Naoko couldn't decide between a sneer or a devilish smirk, so she kept screaming instead. "You heard me! Those people you didn't want me to see? They're my family, and I'm sick of hiding the fact! You were _not_ worth losing five years that I can never get back! I quit, I'm done, make someone cover _me_ for a change! Count yourself lucky that my loved ones are so anxious to see me, that they're not likely to come after you for delaying me!"

It was about then that the auburn-haired woman noticed that an elevator had opened behind her, which made for an extra three witnesses to the incident.

Excellent. Anything to lessen the chances of a time-consuming lawsuit. Naoko grabbed her luggage and marched it into the elevator, making the teenage bellhop and honeymooners quickly scramble out of it.

Punching the button for the ground level, Naoko managed as wicked a smirk as she could manage for her ex-boss, still staring at her in horror.

It was the kind of evil grin that Haru would be proud of.

"I'm not saying they won't come after you," Naoko added with a deliberately uncaring tone as the doors began to shut the man out of her life forever.

"I'm just saying they love me more than they hate you."

xxXxx

So, was this as well-thought out as the longer ones? No. Was it predictable? Yes. Was it fun to write?

Absolutely. And that should be the point.

So I wasn't planning a cameo per chapter, I just wanted somewhere believable for the first chapter that would hire Lucy. I was planning her and Mina to be nurses at first, but then I decided to have a bit of fun with it, and then my sweet beta started giving suggestions that made the story that much better, so here we are.

Chapter Cameos:

Hatter's hat shop from Howl's Moving Castle

Sally and Jack Skellington from Nightmare Before Christmas (Don't tell me that doesn't become her last name at some point!)

Jareth and Sarah from Labyrinth

Scary Godmother and Hannah from Scary Godmother

Naraku from Inuyasha

The hat pin idea came from a post I saw on Nanenna's Tumblr page about women using their hat pins as weapons against creeps that didn't want to own up to being creeps back around the 1900s. 'Petticoated Swashbucklers', indeed!

Lots of love goes to; foxchick1, E-man-dy-S, NeonTheGreen, Anonymous, Momochan77, Ichigo Sanero, Sekaihatsu, Nichole, Ebony Mitsu, Chaosmaiden07, Mitsuki81, Hinami00, JadenFlame, sailor star rainbow, Rowena Bensel, and Ghost Wulf for their kind comments and reviews. You guys are awesome!

I would also like to thank LunarStar Princess Krystal and her mother for beta-ing this story on short notice. I know I've been inexcusably bad at thanking betas over the years, but I'm going to start doing better now. If not, every reader is invited to slap me with a fish until I remember my manners.

I now return you to your regularly scheduled story.


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